Karen Rutz
Blackstone,MA
Summary
Accomplished senior creative services leader with 27 years of marketing and creative industry experience. With the last 17 years spent honing creative operations within the higher education market– to further recruitment, advancement, academic reputation and overall brand awareness efforts. Strategy without an eye towards execution simply won't get the job done. How the work gets done matters. With creative operations at the intersection of people, process, and technology. I ensure that all three facets are managed effectively and efficiently. Ensuring marketing and creative assets delivered from the team are on brief, on brand, on time and on budget. And PS- it's important to have fun while doing it. I embrace and cultivate a positive team culture.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Director
Harvard University, Alumni Affairs And Development
Cambridge, MA
01.2014 - Current
- Led creative services department through successful reorganization, repositioning and rebranding
- Led AA&D through digital asset management and work management initiatives
- Included gathering business requirements, vetting and purchasing technology solutions, implementation and onboarding
- Optimized creative process workflow including process documentation, project documentation and project templates
- Leveraged reporting to provide, for the first time, transparency into creative operations
- Implemented time tracking initiative enabling better transparency, capacity and resource planning
- Led creative services team through key University moments including close of 6 billion dollar capital campaign, most successful campaign in history of higher education, inauguration of a new President – Larry Bacow, commnication and celebration of many seven figure transformational gifts
- Led through a global crisis – Due to resource constraints, in addition to managing the Creative Services department, I accepted the responsibilities of overseeing the Events department, during a time of extreme uncertainty due to the pandemic. The events industry was hit hard and had to pivot on a dime from in person to virtual events and reimagine how to engage guests in a new way
- Managed two departments comprised of 25+ people.
Traffic/Production/Operations Manager
Bryant University
, RI
01.2003 - 01.2014
- Develop and implemented traffic department (including workflow, quality control, procedures and training)
- Key member in managing the process of complete web redesign
- Developed custom database to track hundreds of pages and thousands of assets
- Catalyst for change: Spearheaded computer project tracking system, photo management system, and networking of cross-platform computers within department
- Manage traffic and production for well over 500 marketing communication projects per year (including web/offset, large format, digital, and trade show graphic printing, editorial)
- Manage and maintain 1.5 million dollar department budget, including vendor purchases-creative freelance and print buying, weekly monitoring of purchase orders, check requests, expense reports and procurement card expenditures, quarterly reporting, end- of- year projections and fiscal year budgets
- Member of management team within University Relations, involved in strategic planning in relation to marketing, advertising, and public relations as they relate to the entire University
Traffic/Production/Operations Manager
Giacobbe Communications
Holliston, MA
01.1997 - 01.2003
Manager of Production and Creative
Trainor Associates
Providence, RI
01.1994 - 01.1997
Public Relations/Marketing Coordinator
Pawtucket YMCA
Pawtucket, RI
01.1993 - 01.1994
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Speech Communications
University of Rhode Island
01.1989 - 01.1993
Skills
Budget Management
undefinedLeadership Competencies
• Builds and maintains collaborative relationships
• Excellent change manager
• Building and developing teams and talent
• Extremely agile, adaptable and resilient
• Cool under pressure
• Strong, decisive, data driven decision maker
• Keen ability to prioritize
• Embraces Innovative
• Creative problem-solver
• Positive attitude
Timeline
Director
Harvard University, Alumni Affairs And Development
01.2014 - Current
Traffic/Production/Operations Manager
Bryant University
01.2003 - 01.2014
Traffic/Production/Operations Manager
Giacobbe Communications
01.1997 - 01.2003
Manager of Production and Creative
Trainor Associates
01.1994 - 01.1997
Public Relations/Marketing Coordinator
Pawtucket YMCA
01.1993 - 01.1994
Bachelor of Arts - Speech Communications
University of Rhode Island
01.1989 - 01.1993
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